Month: March 2015

In it I highlighted the way we’re groomed and brain washed from a very young age to Disown our Power. So we fail to realise just how potent we truly are.

Recently I’ve been speaking about Entrepreneurial DNA. Entrepreneurial DNA is the unique coding, specific to each individual, that was written by God in every human being’s make-up.

Entrepreneurial DNA is as a part of you and me as our fingerprints and every other physical part we see of ourselves.

It’s the drive to create something spectacular- do something significant and make an impact on this world..

So here’s where the robbing begins.

From a very young age most people are told how to think, how to speak, how to act, how to be, how to feel, “how to” a million other things that are not necessarily who they truly are.

A lot of children, wherever they turn, are being brainwashed into subservience instead of being taught how to rule.

It was Never God’s Plan

We live in a world that says “We have to have poor people for things to work. We need employers and employees. We need wealthy rulers and poverty-stricken servants.”

That is evidence of a fallen world. It was never God’s plan. And it goes against everything The Scriptures say about how God created Man, every Man and Woman, in His image.

When He walked this earth Jesus, our King and Creator, was both Servant and Ruler. He is Ruling now and yet He continues to Serve us.

We have so twisted the notion of serving that it’s seen as a lowly act.

And so people who rise to various forms of leadership, sometimes abuse the people under them, even oppress them so that those people never reach their full potential.

Those leaders don’t realise that they too are still servants and one of their “serving” duties is to empower the people under them to also rise. And continue that powerful, Godly, Cycle.

For a significant part of his life David served (which is what “servant” means). He looked after sheep for his dad. Then he served King Saul and then he served as King of Israel.

And yet this fallen world has banished all the people it can to not grow in their level of servanthood- but has instead brainwashed them to believing their serving should always be tied to poverty and lack!

What are we Really made up of?

Your genetic make-up, and mine, are determined by decades, centuries and even millennia of genes. All of which can be traced back to Adam and Even who can be traced back to the Almighty Creator of the Universe.

Even that truth has been robbed from many people! Millions of dollars are dedicated to compelling us to believe that our genetic make-up can be traced back to some single cell organism that just POOF! Happened one day!

For years scientists have tried to understand our medical, psychological and psychiatric dispositions by exploring genetics.

Some athletes might even be said to have have the unfair advantage over others based on their genetic make-up.

And yet when it comes to who we truly are- which is the part of us that will go on into eternity, our Spiritual DNA, the world tells us that, that, is a matter of opinion and we cannot state this reality as we can other “realities” about our physical make-up.

God has encoded in each one of us an incredible Purpose

That purpose is directly linked to our Spiritual DNA which is directly linked to the One from Whom that DNA comes from: God.

But we’ve been told to not enter God into our equation.

Entire nations have removed God from every part of their existence to “honour” things that deny who we truly are: Spiritual Beings who can only understand our most essential make-up by connecting with Whom our Spiritual DNA comes from: God.

The Scriptures are full of High Profile individuals who recognised their Spiritual DNA

They were wealthy businessmen and women, they were Prophets and Leaders, they were Kings and Queens.

The only reason their stories made it into the Bible was because they discovered who they were in their Father, God, and they lived out who He encoded them to be.

If we cannot be cheated into believing that we belong to God, then we’re robbed from living in true Spiritual Power by believing that the only people that Share God’s Love and Message of Redeeming Grace are the people we’ve labelled as “spiritual”: Prophets, and pastors, evangelists and missionaries. The rest of us are on the outside just cheering The “super-spiritual” on.

That is a lie. And without even realising it most of us have been Robbed in the BIGGEST way Possible!

Whatever God has called You to do- He’s calling you to do it in honour of your unique Entrepreneurial DNA that He Himself encoded in You

Your great idea, your business, your heart for a non-profit organisation that could impact the lives of others, are all Godly pursuits that are no less spiritual than a missionary who dedicates every moment of their lives spreading the Gospel.

Your Business is a call to serve and to answer questions and problems this world so desperately needs solved.

You may wonder: But how can what I love doing impact someone else’s life?

Quit asking yourself and others that- Ask The Father from which your Entrepreneur DNA comes from. You’ll be amazed at what He’ll show You.

Jesus’ work on the Cross was so complete and the depth of it something we might never fully comprehend.

God was so protective of Your Spiritual and Entrepreneurial DNA that He foresaw that you’d be robbed of it and made a Way to get Your Stuff back! Jesus got it back for You!

It doesn’t matter how long You’ve lived not believing in Your ability to do Great things- the Price for you to be Awesome and Successful has already been paid.

Where Your Power Comes From

There’s a part of our being that we cannot see in the mirror. A part of us that looks just like our Father God. That part can only be seen in Prayer and time with Our Dad- the One from Whom the most important part of us comes from: Daddy God.

There are entire Movements that work tirelessly to prevent us from calling God our Father, our Dad.

Movements that want us to believe we’re orphans with no belonging.

Some of those movements were inflicted on us through painful experiences that robbed us of what the Title Father truly means because we only ever experienced that title in twisted and warped ways.

But there is a Greater Movement!

He’s called Jesus. And He came to restore what was taken.

We are children of the King. And yet we’ve been labouring under harsh masters in work that has robbed us of our health, our joy, our emotional well-being, time with our families and a life that’s truly worth living! Why? Because we haven’t recognised and owned our True Entrepreneurial DNA!

Business educators teach us about economics, balance sheets, marketing and all the things that are useful in business and yet they don’t teach on this most crucial element: Our Entrepreneurial DNA.

It cannot be ignored!

Your Breakthrough does not come from mentors, or investors or savvy business partners- all those things are great and useful- but the Real Breakthrough- the one you REALLY need can only come from decoding your inner genetic make-up and understanding what God encoded in your Spiritual and Entrepreneurial DNA.

It is absolutely God’s will for You to go ahead with Your Great Idea and Build something Spectacular. Success is encoded in Your DNA!

When my kids were born I prayed their hair would stay silky and turn out more like their Dad’s than mine.

My son when he was a few months old

When my son’s hair turned coarser as he grew- I grieved.

When my daughter came- my prayers for her hair were more fervent! I felt her life would be oh so difficult if she ended up with hair like her Mommy’s. My poor baby girl I cried.

And then came the time when I realised that so many women around me had ditched relaxers!

Just about every time I went to the hairdresser my fellow clients sported their natural hair: long, strong and so gorgeous. I was jealous! How was it possible that this hair I’d thought a curse all my life was a joyful song these women were not only singing at full blast but dancing to?

And so I started to consider…

But I was resilient. Because in my heart I didn’t want to cave into the movement that made me feel like a sell-out for enjoying (and preferring) my relaxed hair.

Also I wanted my daughter to feel that she had every right to choose what she wanted to do with her hair when she was old enough to make that choice- not based on how her choices defined her but based upon her very own preference of what was easier and better for her.

My daughter in her gorgeous fro

Anyway the day I decided to cut my relaxed hair was not because of some philosophical enlightenment- something in me just raged against my relaxed hair. For the first time I saw my relaxed hair as weak, pathetic and a distraction from my own real hair growing underneath. It wasn’t a change of heart- it was just this annoying irritation that could no longer stand the state of my hair!

I wanted to start over. I wasn’t sure what that meant. All I knew was that I didn’t want to stay in that valley of indecision.

So I cut it off. And when it was gone I felt ugly- yep I did- but I also felt such relief! And I felt an ability to breathe in a way I didn’t know I’d lost.

A few days into my natural hair I wondered why I wasn’t “bonding” with my little fro.

I expressed my chagrin with others- and one response from my dear friend Lauren Shakantu stood out most for me. She wrote to me saying;

“Let me tell you this Sis, the way you feel about your hair comes from a lot of misconception, a lot of comparison and disillusion about your true hair texture. The hair that you see right now is yours and it was not supposed to look another way. Sis our hair is beautiful but it can take time to really see it that way and appreciate it, because we have been told otherwise and it’s only starting to be represented in the media as fashionable.

“I learned to love my natural hair. I didn’t always feel this way. When I realized that I didn’t think my hair was beautiful and classy enough, I cut the relaxed hair because I knew this was a big issue- not to love your own hair. I started to love natural hair through blogs. I saw what these girls did to their hair and I was amazed. I was particularly amazed to see women with the same texture as mine whose hair looked so beautiful.

“I really want you to fall in love with your hair Sis! Some people say that natural hair is not for everyone. To me that makes no sense because natural hair is what grows out of your scalp, therefore it’s yours, therefore it’s for You!”

After reading that response I had to agree that my hair was as much a part of me as my eyes, my lips, my legs- it was a huge part of who I was. To disconnect from it- to loathe it- to prefer something so contrary to what it really was, was to deny a part of my being that was as intrinsic to my being as my skin and my tribe and my mother tongue, my DNA, and my unique and special giftings. How then, could I deny this part of me that was so deeply woven into who I was?

And. The responsibility was not only for myself, it was for my daughter too. I had to learn how to love and treat my own beautiful hair so I could teach my gorgeous daughter how to treat, manage and LOVE her own natural, splendid, hair. How could I teach her that of her own hair, her own self, if I didn’t believe it of my fro and my own self?

That’s what I want to teach my daughter: Love Your hair Baby Girl. Because it’s beautiful and perfect and so very gorgeous- just like every other part of You.

There are many reasons black women around the world are deciding to allow what naturally grows out of their heads to remain as it is.

For me it’s been an awakening of a part of me I’d allowed to die.

It’s been about embracing and falling in love with a part of Hannah I was taught to despise and thus hide.

Will I relax my hair again? Maybe. But if I do, it’ll be because I want a different look and not because I think that look is better than my natural one. I can say truthfully that I far prefer my own natural hair to every artificial treatment and extension I’ve ever had.

Am I saying that relaxed hair, weaves etc are bad? Not at all. I am saying though that for me they’re just another style and not a preference over my own natural hair.

Am I saying that black women who relax their hair don’t love their hair or themselves? Not at all!!!!!!

What I am saying though as a black woman who was raised in an environment that was very Loud about people who looked like me being inferior- as a black woman who was raised in an environment where even some of our (black) teachers told us that people of Caucasian decent were better than us- thought better- were more developed, smarter and more innovative- and having grown up in environments that made me feel that being black and African was rather sad- Embracing my natural hair has been a big BIG deal for me.

Now, I see my influence in my children’s hair and I think it’s a beautiful thing.

I see my kink in their locks and I L.O.V.E it!

My Son all grown up and sporting his incredible Fro

This is who my babies are. This is who we are. And my heart is to teach them to honour, love and celebrate their natural hair and their amazing selves in the most glorious way.

P.S. In case you haven’t seen it yet, Here’s a snippet from Chris Rock’s Film Good Hair

I’ve chosen Linchpin, by Genius Marketer Seth Godin as our book club read for the month of April. This book revolutionised my… well just about everything I’d once believed of myself and my work. It’s a fantastic book whether You own your business or wish to grow your career.

What stood out from most readers who reviewed the book was that they felt as though Seth was speaking, face-to-face, specifically to them, through this book.

One reader wrote: “While reading Linchpin I looked around a few times to see if author Seth Godin was perhaps peering through my living room window to see my reaction. It really felt like he was talking to me, singling me out. How could he know how I rationalize things?”

Another wrote: “First, this is by far Godin’s most personal book in which he reveals more of his emotions and “soul” (for lack of a better term) than he has in any of his previous books… I felt that he had written this book specifically for me. Although he and I have never met, I felt as if he were speaking to me and discussing ideas with me as if we were engaged in a face-to-face conversation.”

I recommend Linchpin to all my Personal Branding Clients because it had a profound impact on me. I believe it has the ability to do that for anyone who wants a meaningful, fulfilled life.

I usually order my books from Kalahari but whichever store you choose is absolutely fine. Just get a hold of this book!

Happy Reading!

P.S. Once you’ve read the book let me know what your experience of it was.

Sometimes You don’t know where to start.
Instead of throwing your hands in the air and giving up- ask God: “Daddy, show me how to start.”
He Will send People and Incredible Resources to equip you to achieve your dream.
But You’ve got to be willing to start, to try, to do, to work, to dare.

I don’t know how You were taught this Scripture but I was taught about “laying it all down for God”, denying myself and only seeking God’s heart and nothing of myself…

I tried. Many times. And failed. Many times.

Because I doubt very much I was taught the truth of this Scripture.

A couple of years ago I started calling God, Father. Last year it seemed to make most sense to call Him Daddy.

Daddy. What an incredible title.

Today I was telling a friend that a lot of what we we’re taught about God is so hugely wrong. God didn’t have us to have an entire planet of beings to “worship” and “serve” Him as some of us were led to believe- He had us the same reason many of decide to have kids- We want to share this life with them. And when our babies come our lives revolve around them- we go places and do things we’d never think to go or do on our own- but for them we’d move Heaven and Earth if we could. They get sick and something in us hurts so badly we wish to take their illness on ourselves so they’d be well. If it came down to it we’d even give our own lives for our babies- Our Heavenly Father’s Love for us is no different. Well it kinda is- because His is so much more.

So if what we’ve been taught about how “Seeking God first” is all about Him we need to fold that carefully and throw out.

Everything God asks of us is for us.

God knew that if we sought Love first we’d be heartbroken. He knew if we sought wealth first we’d be stressed, anxious, never satisfied and constantly on the look out for the elusive More. He knew that if we sought our health first we’d live obsessed about what to eat or not eat- that eventually our mouths and bodies would have far too much control to truly live healthy. God knew that if we even put our families first, before Him, we’d burden ourselves and them with unrealistic expectations regarding our devotion. Daddy knew that if we sought anything outside of Him first we’d be burned out, stressed and not fully able to live the joyful Life He had for us.

God knew that seeking Him first was all about discovering His truths about this life.

The very first thing we’d soon find out as we “sought Him” would be how much He Loved us.

Then we’d find out How much He wanted us to Prosper in every area of our lives.

Then we’d find out how to prosper in every area of our lives.

All because we sought Him first.

Seeking God first is simply getting to Know Him and His heart.

And His heart is this. That He Loves You. Forever.

That He has held Nothing back from You.

That He wants You to live in Prosperity beyond Your wildest Dreams.

And that He wants to equip You to attain everything He has in store for You.

Don’t start with a business Plan. Start with Your Father in Heaven’s Plan for You. It’s Beautiful and Perfect- and Just for You!

Don’t start with developing Your idea. Start with His idea about You.

Let all things start with Him and it’ll blow Your mind the things that will fall into place- And all things that will be added to your life as You choose to understand what He really means when He asks You to come and Feast with Him.

Kids love superheros for one very simple reason: They recognise themselves in superheros.

Children believe they are spectacular.

For the most part they are fearless and own a crazy sense of invincibility- just like superheros!

We all start out that way.

That’s why adults enjoy a good superhero movie.

It’s not just for the escape into a fantasy world where the hero can fly and crash ten foot buildings- I’d like to believe it’s because for that period of time we’re watching a part of us believes in the impossible- and on some level we recognise that we too have incredible power to overcome injustice, right wrongs and win over adversity and evil.

One of the things I enjoy so much about my three and two year old is their belief that they can do anything.

So often I have to stop myself from screaming: You can’t do that!

Because they believe they can.

The challenge is to gently navigate them through their little worlds without crushing their superhero powers.

Today I work in an office. Most of the time. And I’m not dead yet. Mainly because as a kid, for me, “working in an office” meant admin work. I didn’t even know what admin work was but I didn’t like it. At all! Decades later, I still can’t stand admin work.

My so-called office work is this, blogging, writing, working on my Dream BIG TV Show… most of the work is done at a desk, in front of a computer with phone calls part of the mix- all things an admin job would’ve entailed, so what’s the difference? The type of work I’m doing.

By the time I was in twelfth grade, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to study.

One day I asked my dad what I could study to get on TV, he said journalism so that’s what I did.

Why TV? Because since I was a kid it’d always been my dream to be on TV.

I would spend hours in my bedroom acting little scenes out- pretending to be people I’d seen on TV.

One of my favourite pass times (aside from reading) was practicing short pieces for one of my favourite kids’ variety shows. If asked at that time what I wanted most, it would’ve been a presenter on that program.

That dream didn’t happen.

Years later though I did end up on TV- and a couple of years into TV I delved into a field that truly resonated with me- business news.

My excitement and buzz for business led me down a couple of paths which, to cut a long story short, led me here- to my home-office doing what I love- what I’d always dreamed as a kid I’d do.

When I hear young people say they’ll study for careers they don’t really want because a. Mom and Dad want them to and/or b. They want something to “fall back on”- a part of me withers for them. Because I know that what awaits them are many long hours of hating what they’ll do for a living coupled with bitterness and regret. And a real possibility is: them asking endless “what ifs” when they’re older and finally realise that the true point of life is not “making a living” but enjoying living.

Few of us had the privilege of being taught that we could make a living enjoying what we do.

When I was in high school my aptitude tests indicated that I’d probably do well as a chef. I enjoyed cooking but being a chef would have killed me.

But my so-called guidance counselor (or rather misguided counselor) pretty much told me I wasn’t smart enough to pick and choose what I wanted to do with my life. She was wrong. And so was everyone else who said I wouldn’t make it doing what I do.

But the people who always supported me and raaaa raaad me on, were my Dad and Mom.

My Dad in particular made me feel that my writing was spectacular.

When I started my journalism career as a print journo, my dad read every single article I ever wrote.

One afternoon he took my portfolio file and re-read every article I’d written over the past two years- it mattered to him. And that made me feel that my work mattered- and more important, that I mattered.

Kids know the kind of work that’ll kill them. And even if they can’t articulate it they instinctively know what will make them feel alive!

I’ve written about our Spiritual DNA– and that’s the part we go against when we choose what seems like a “secure” career decision over the wild passion that’s encoded in who we are.

We humans are three parts: Spirit, Soul and Body.

When we pursue careers that don’t align with who we truly are, a part of us dies. And the rest of our being lives in mourning for the part that’s gone.

In it I highlighted the way we’re groomed and brain washed from a very young age to Disown our Power. So we fail to realise just how potent we truly are.

Recently I’ve been speaking about Entrepreneurial DNA. Entrepreneurial DNA is the unique coding, specific to each individual, that was written by God in every human being’s make-up.

Entrepreneurial DNA is as a part of you and me as our fingerprints and every other physical part we see of ourselves.

It’s the drive to create something spectacular- do something significant and make an impact on this world..

So here’s where the robbing begins.

From a very young age most people are told how to think, how to speak, how to act, how to be, how to feel, “how to” a million other things that are not necessarily who they truly are.

A lot of children, wherever they turn, are being brainwashed into subservience instead of being taught how to rule.

It was Never God’s Plan

We live in a world that says “We have to have poor people for things to work. We need employers and employees. We need wealthy rulers and poverty-stricken servants.”

That is evidence of a fallen world. It was never God’s plan. And it goes against everything The Scriptures say about how God created Man, every Man and Woman, in His image.

When He walked this earth Jesus, our King and Creator, was both Servant and Ruler. He is Ruling now and yet He continues to Serve us.

We have so twisted the notion of serving that it’s seen as a lowly act.

And so people who rise to various forms of leadership, sometimes abuse the people under them, even oppress them so that those people never reach their full potential.

Those leaders don’t realise that they too are still servants and one of their “serving” duties is to empower the people under them to also rise. And continue that powerful, Godly, Cycle.

For a significant part of his life David served (which is what “servant” means). He looked after sheep for his dad. Then he served King Saul and then he served as King of Israel.

And yet this fallen world has banished all the people it can to not grow in their level of servanthood- but has instead brainwashed them to believing their serving should always be tied to poverty and lack!

What are we Really made up of?

Your genetic make-up, and mine, are determined by decades, centuries and even millennia of genes. All of which can be traced back to Adam and Even who can be traced back to the Almighty Creator of the Universe.

Even that truth has been robbed from many people! Millions of dollars are dedicated to compelling us to believe that our genetic make-up can be traced back to some single cell organism that just POOF! Happened one day!

For years scientists have tried to understand our medical, psychological and psychiatric dispositions by exploring genetics.

Some athletes might even be said to have have the unfair advantage over others based on their genetic make-up.

And yet when it comes to who we truly are- which is the part of us that will go on into eternity, our Spiritual DNA, the world tells us that, that, is a matter of opinion and we cannot state this reality as we can other “realities” about our physical make-up.

God has encoded in each one of us an incredible Purpose

That purpose is directly linked to our Spiritual DNA which is directly linked to the One from Whom that DNA comes from: God.

But we’ve been told to not enter God into our equation.

Entire nations have removed God from every part of their existence to “honour” things that deny who we truly are: Spiritual Beings who can only understand our most essential make-up by connecting with Whom our Spiritual DNA comes from: God.

The Scriptures are full of High Profile individuals who recognised their Spiritual DNA

They were wealthy businessmen and women, they were Prophets and Leaders, they were Kings and Queens.

The only reason their stories made it into the Bible was because they discovered who they were in their Father, God, and they lived out who He encoded them to be.

If we cannot be cheated into believing that we belong to God, then we’re robbed from living in true Spiritual Power by believing that the only people that Share God’s Love and Message of Redeeming Grace are the people we’ve labelled as “spiritual”: Prophets, and pastors, evangelists and missionaries. The rest of us are on the outside just cheering The “super-spiritual” on.

That is a lie. And without even realising it most of us have been Robbed in the BIGGEST way Possible!

Whatever God has called You to do- He’s calling you to do it in honour of your unique Entrepreneurial DNA that He Himself encoded in You

Your great idea, your business, your heart for a non-profit organisation that could impact the lives of others, are all Godly pursuits that are no less spiritual than a missionary who dedicates every moment of their lives spreading the Gospel.

Your Business is a call to serve and to answer questions and problems this world so desperately needs solved.

You may wonder: But how can what I love doing impact someone else’s life?

Quit asking yourself and others that- Ask The Father from which your Entrepreneur DNA comes from. You’ll be amazed at what He’ll show You.

Jesus’ work on the Cross was so complete and the depth of it something we might never fully comprehend.

God was so protective of Your Spiritual and Entrepreneurial DNA that He foresaw that you’d be robbed of it and made a Way to get Your Stuff back! Jesus got it back for You!

It doesn’t matter how long You’ve lived not believing in Your ability to do Great things- the Price for you to be Awesome and Successful has already been paid.

The orphanages I spoke of earlier…

Those are spiritual orphanages. Created by the Lie that we’re Fatherless and come from organisms that didn’t even look like us! We’re told we “evolved”.

That’s a Lie! With a Capital L

There’s a part of our being that we cannot see in the mirror. A part of us that looks just like our Father God. That part can only be seen in Prayer and time with Our Dad- the One from Whom the most important part of us comes from: Daddy God.

There are entire Movements that work tirelessly to prevent us from calling God our Father, our Dad.

Movements that want us to believe we’re orphans with no belonging.

Some of those movements were inflicted on us through painful experiences that robbed us of what the Title Father truly means because we only ever experienced that title in twisted and warped ways.

But there is a Greater Movement!

He’s called Jesus. And He came to restore what was taken.

We are children of the King. And yet we’ve been labouring under harsh masters in work that has robbed us of our health, our joy, our emotional well-being, time with our families and a life that’s truly worth living! Why? Because we haven’t recognised and owned our True Entrepreneurial DNA!

Business educators teach us about economics, balance sheets, marketing and all the things that are useful in business and yet they don’t teach on this most crucial element: Our Entrepreneurial DNA.

It cannot be ignored!

Your Breakthrough does not come from mentors, or investors or savvy business partners- all those things are great and useful- but the Real Breakthrough- the one you REALLY need can only come from decoding your inner genetic make-up and understanding what God encoded in your Spiritual and Entrepreneurial DNA.

It is absolutely God’s will for You to go ahead with Your Great Idea and Build something Spectacular. Success is encoded in Your DNA!

Am I really happy?
Do I REALLY want to do this?
Why am I holding on?
What am I afraid of?
Why am I afraid?
Why am I stuck?
Why am I battling to get unstuck?
Why am I holding myself back?
Why am I not telling the whole truth?